Saturday, September 20, 2008

on the move (End of Summer IV)

8/27/2008

[Part 4 in an ongoing travelogue of my trip to Beijing,
last day in Seoul, and return trip to the States, all
during the last week of my summer in East Asia.]

Wednesday8.27.2008:

My last day with the Bust Out crew dawned hazy and
gray. Yuelang, Paco, and I roused ourselves gradually
from slumber, doing some last bits of work online and
getting fresh before heading out to the store one last time.

Image125

Image144

Image145

Image146
As Yuelang and I waited for Paco at the car, we
observed a group of young kids playing in and around
an unmanned guardhouse on the perimeter of the
compound. They frolicked freely, darting in and out,
banging at the door; an impertinent little girl dashed
around using a long viney weed, torn up from the
fence, as a makeshift whip, chasing the boys around
and making imperious demands of them.

Image147
100% 中国制造的。

Image148

Cruising down the highway near Paco's house.




Image149
The famous Beijing 自行车,still ubiquitous even in an increasingly
modernized and engine-powered city.



Image150

Image151



Image152
北京 city center - the famous Xidan bookstore (西单书院). Paco's old
store was just a block down, in the 77 Street (77街) shopping center.


Image153
Xidan friendship store - 中友百货商店, another mainstay of Xidan.
As we drove through the city center, signs of the Beijing 2008
Olympic mania still remained evident on every corner, intersection,
store, and pedestrian. I wondered idly - and still do - what it will be
that replaces this national passion and focus.

Image154

Image155
In Paco's words: "I love this clothing. No belt, no
choosing t-shirt and pants, just zip it up and I'm ready
to roll."

Image156

Image158

A scant few hours after hitting the store one last time, we packed up
my Bust Out goods and hit the streets again. Bidding farewell to the rest
of the crew, Paco, Yuelang, and I headed out in Paco's car - Yuelang to
a concert his rock band (摇滚乐队) was having that night, and Paco and
me to 东直门, where I was to catch the bus out to 顺义, where I would
spend the night at my friend Carrie's work dorm.

Image159

Image160
Waiting for the bus... heading the wrong way, as I later
found out (before paying for my ticket and being carted
off back into the city).

Image161
The city has really been stepping its game up for the
Olympics (and hopefully, staying on the grind/level
for the foreseeable future)... a year ago exactly, I had
caught a bus from this bus station and it was an out-
right mess of confusion. One of the few public brawls
that I have seen in 中国 was in a line at this bus stop.

This year? A police officer politely and efficiently
guided tourists and citydwellers alike to the proper,
neatly aligned gate at which to await the next arriving
bus.

Image162

Image163
915快, express to 顺义 suburbs.

Image164
All the bustout goods to date: something along the lines
of 17 tees, 4 hats, jeans, and a pair of visvim Christos for
good measure.

Image165
Goodbye, Beijing/北京再见!

Image166

Image167

Image168

Image170

Carrie was waiting at the bus station upon my arrival
in Shunyi (顺义), a bit of an explicit mercy given my
phoneless state (our last contact had been ~65 minutes
before, courtesy of Paco's phone before he dropped me
at 东直门). We dropped my bags at her workplace guest
suite and headed immediately off to a work dinner, me
tagging along at the behest of her employer, a 老朋友 of
mine from the previous summer (a result of my unfore-
seeably extended
stay in 顺义).

After dinner, Carrie and I hung around for a little bit in
the room, talking about the past year and our hopes for
the next.

Image171
Both of the last times I've come to China, my exit
strategy was via this room.

Image172

Image173
The goods.

Image175
Carrie 姐姐.

Image176
很像亲人,对吗?

Image177

[Next up: Back in Seoul! One last day at work, kicking
it with Mike.]

No comments: